A House Full of Trouble
by Iliandra Nightshade
Summary: AU as of book6 Draco Malfoy moves into Grimmauld Place for protection in exchange for testimony against his father.Ginny is the only one living there with him, and she has issues of her own. What happens when you lock feuding families together?DG,HPLL,ADM
1. An Unexpected Occurance

A/N: Disclaimer on profile. This is about three pages a chapter in Open Office, and it looks so short here... Please try the other chapters, I had a hard time starting this one off. Enjoy.

Ginny Weasley sat in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place in early June, just after her fifth year. She was sipping a cup of tea, and nibbling at a plate of toast, when she heard footsteps. Not making a sound, she left her dishes, and drew a wand and a dagger, slipping behind the swinging kitchen door. As the steps drew closer, Ginny controlled her breathing, and crouched slightly, ready to attack or defend. The door swung open, and a blonde walked in, instantly, Ginny held him with her wand at the middle of his back and her dagger at his throat, though she only came up to his shoulder. "Identify yourself, and tell me why you're here," Ginny hissed.

The blonde froze entirely. Without moving anything but his lips, he replied calmly in a coaxing manner, "My name is Draco Malfoy. Professor Dumbledore brought me here for safety in exchange for a testimony against my father."

Only sheathing her dagger, Ginny ordered, "Face me." Malfoy did so, and was shocked to see the identity of his assailant. "Do you know the address of where we are, Malfoy?" Ginny questioned.

Shaking his head, Malfoy smirked, "No, Weasel, I don't; but if you're here, your brother is here. If Weaselby is here, then Mudblood and Potter aren't far away."

Ginny hissed, "Wakimoduli!" a jet of blue and yellow swirled light shot from her wand, and hit Malfoy, he glowed a white, then a green, and then a silver streaked with brown. "Fine, don't expect me to enjoy having you here. Oh, and just so you know, neither my Ronald nor his friends are here. They decided they would have their own adventures this summer, and as they are all seventeen or their guardian not present, the adults here were unable to find any way to permanently prevent them from leaving in time." Ginny flicked her wand at her plate and tea cup before striding out of the door and right into Mad Eye Moody's chest.

The wooden legged auror had his wand on Malfoy, and he yelled, "Accio wand!" The wand didn't make an appearance, and Moody grunted, "Accio wand!" Ginny's wand flew from her pocket, and she reflexively yanked it out of the air. Good eye widening, Moody bound Ginny with cords, emptied her pockets, eye growing wider the entire time, and finally grunted at Malfoy, "Boy, come with me. You'll need to witness to all the things that just came out of her pockets."

The three went upstairs, Malfoy leading, by Moody's instruction, and Ginny being floated behind him with Moody in the rear. In the drawing room, Dumbledore was quietly conferring with Snape, and both men stood as the party entered. Dumbledore frowned, and asked, "You found the source of the Dark Magic, I take it, Alastor?"

Moody levitated Ginny forward, and the Headmaster and Snape both showed shock in their own ways. Snape raised an eyebrow, while Dumbledore's eyes widened. Moody said, "I accioed Malfoy's wand, and nothing came, so I accioed the wand that cast the spell, and Ginny's flew out of her pocket. She caught it on the way to my hand, and then I searched her. Take a look, and this is just her pockets. Imagine what we'll find in her room, Albus."

As Dumbledore and Snape examined the evidence with Malfoy looking over their shoulders, the headmaster asked, "Ginny, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Ask Snape how evil the Dark Items you see there are, when there is no dark intent behind their use. Then ask Moody why they are considered Dark. If you're still not satisfied after that, I'll let you poke around my head." Ginny nearly spat.

Even though Malfoy and Snape were shocked, Dumbledore did as Ginny asked. Snape's reply was, "Nothing Dark but the Unforgiveables is actually Dark Magic unless the intent is Dark. Many a warlock or hag has been released on charges due to that, so long as they could prove the intent with which the Dark Items or spells were used."

After Moody was asked, he admitted that the items had only been banned because the large majority of the time they were used was for ill purpose. Looking at Ginny sadly, Dumbledore inquired, "How much may I look at, to see that we are safe in assuming these were used with only good intent?"

Ginny locked eyes with Dumbledore and pulled him into her mind, and then lowered all her barriers. Barely seconds later, Dumbledore fell to his knees, and broke the contact. "You can see why I allow no one in, Professor. Are you content that I didn't use my 'rare' artifacts with ill intent?"

"More than reassured. Alastor, let her go." Even though Dumbledore ordered it, Moody didn't release his young captives bonds.

The auror frowned, "Professor, I have to see for myself."

Ginny did a bridge in mid-air, though the ropes turned her extremities purple, and she locked eyes with Moody, doing the same as she had with Dumbldore. The results were immediate. The auror fainted dead away, and as he did, the bonds on Ginny fell away. Landing in a crouch, Ginny immediately felt for a pulse on Moody's body, and found none. Entirely forgetting the people in the room, Ginny sat on the floor cross legged at Moody's head, and touched her first two fingers to Moody's temples on either side. Rubbing gently, Ginny applied slight pressure, and concentrated. Her hands began to glow, and Moody began to breathe again. Soon, it looked as if he were merely asleep.

Ginny sat back slightly, after removing her fingers. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and instinctively she flipped them over next to Moody. "Oh, I'm sorry Professor. I get a bit antsy after a healing like that. He'll need to go to St. Mungo's, to deal with the trauma you know."

Dumbledore brushed himself off, and looked at Ginny in wonder. "Given your past my dear, I think it might be best if you became a field agent for the Order. Your mother can't exactly object, since legally you are of age."

Immediately, Ginny replied, "Only if I can two time Tom. He picked the wrong person to double cross, and I will make sure he regrets it."

Snape and Dumbledore drew back in shock, due to the fact that they both knew what ordeal she was referencing. Malfoy however, spat, "Oh, and you could fool the Dark Lord, Weasley? There's a laugh, some little girl thinks she can take on the very man who came back from death?"

"Malfoy, would you care to know how personally this is my war? Would you even dare question my right to fight, even from the other side? I have more right to be in this war then The Boy Who Lived to Get His Name in the Papers!" Ginny hissed, "Moody had a heart attack from post-traumatic stress disorder, and I just had to muck around in his brain enough to get it started back up. Do you realize that Voldemort possessed me, and used me for a year; and then took my life to embody his soul fragment? Do you know how many people's lives I saw taken after being tortured? Have you ever killed a living, breathing, awake, talking human being? Have you ever half woken up from sleep, just to realize that you can't control your body as it slits its own arm open and uses its own blood to write on walls? Were you ever tortured to within an centimeter of your life, repeatedly? Daily? Hourly? Forced to die for something you don't believe in simply because you wrote a few paragraphs about yourself on a page in a diary?"


	2. A Portrait Shuts Up

Ginny took a moment to calm herself, and then stood, collected her things, and turned to Malfoy just before she left, "Have you dedicated twenty years to training yourself in every possible form of combat, Malfoy? If you have done anything I have, please, feel free to mock me, and call me a little girl. Tell me Malfoy, have you ever run away from something so thoroughly that you died? Have you ever put yourself in a coma? When you grow up a little, and you stop hiding behind money and politics, then talk to me."

After Ginny had left, Snape remarked, "She's right you know, Draco. Your father's treatment of you was harsh, but imagine living with Voldemort tied to your hand by handcuffs for a year. Just think about it, eleven, ignored, friendless, alone, and completely sheltered. Imagine finding this marvelous friend, who talks back and gives advice, then, to your amazement, you find that you wake up not knowing where you are or how you got there, hours after you can last remember something. Think about that, and then think about what her punishments were like when she promised she'd do everything by herself, without him taking over. If she did the slightest thing wrong, or hinted at not being alright, what would happen? She died clinically four times, that we know about. You say that Voldemort came back once, and are impressed, what about that?"

Snape left the room, taking Moody to St. Mungo's Hospital, and Dumbledore sat quietly with Malfoy in the empty room. "I know it seems as though everyone has sided with Ginny, but you must realize that Professor Snape doesn't even know the number of times I have found her, lying in a pool of blood from her eyes. The Cruiatus shattered when it refracted through a crystal she ducked behind. The spell also splintered the gem, and both were lodged within her eyes. We got nearly all of it out, but there are still a few tiny fragments that move occasionally and slit tears in her eyes. It is a miracle the girl can still see. I think it would be a good idea to talk to her. I think you'll find that her trust is boundless, though nearly impossible to earn. Start with your experiences, be friendly, she is the only person that will be living here with you, though I will allow her to double deal with Voldemort, so she may be called out. As it is, I believe that she may unapproachable today. Well, I must go attend to a few pressing matters, good day, Mr. Malfoy."

For the first time in a while, Malfoy spoke, "Please, sir, call me Draco. I don't feel I should use my father's name. And sir, could I join this... Order that fights Voldemort?"

Dumbledore stopped in the door, "Well, Draco, you will have to be questioned, and found loyal, but I can arrange it. It's getting late, I might make one last suggestion before I go, and that is to get some much-needed sleep." The old man disappeared out the door, and left Ginny and Draco in the house by themselves.

Doing as suggested, Draco went slightly shocked to bed, yet was rudely awakened barely minutes later as a shriek filled the house, "FILTHY MUDBLOODS, WEREWOLVES, STINKING WRETCHES DEFILING THE NOBLE AND ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK!"

The screams of one woman stopped, as Ginny's voice rang over that of the protrait, "MRS. BLACK! PLEASE CALM DOWN!" Draco descended to the ground level, and heard Ginny saying, "I'm terribly sorry to disturb you, Madame. My name is Ginevra Weasley, but I've taken the name of my mother's notably more noble family, the Prewetts."

Mrs. Black smiled apreciatively as Ginny curtsied politely, and replied, "How wonderful to meet at least one pure person left in my distinguished house. You, my dear, are most welcome here. The filth Sirius allowed here, it is a wonder the entire place is not a wreck. Ah, you simply _must_ be Lucius' son, no other could have his looks, you too are most welcome, young Malfoy." The portrait had spotted Draco on the stairs.

Ginny didn't give the blonde a chance to respond as she once again curtsied, "You have our gratitude for your hospitality. We would be most happy to have the house restored to its grandeur, if you would be so kind as to allow us to borrow the services of your loyal house elf."

Entirely won over, Mrs. Black called, "Kreature!" When the house elf appeared, it bowed low and entirely ignored Ginny and Draco. The portrait ordered, "Kreature, meet your new master and mistress. You will be as loyal to them as you were to me and my son Regulus." Turning to Ginny, "Ginevra, dear, be sure that he doesn't slack off."

For all the world looking like a perfect pure blood, Ginny bowed her head and murmured, "Of course, Milady. Would you like the curtains to remain open?"

"Yes, that would be lovely. My, look at the time, you both had best be off to bed." Mrs. Black said.

Turning to the stairs, Ginny began her way up, and then she looked back, "Kreature, I want to be up at eight, and no later. When I come down, the dining room had better be clean, and breakfast ready. Mrs. Black's curtain needs to be replaced, her frame polished, and her entire corner sparkling. It's a disgrace to our host to leave it that way. If everything is not done..." Letting the threat hang, Ginny climbed the rest of the stairs, followed by Malfoy.

On the second landing, Malfoy turned Ginny around sharply, automatically ducking the blow that she reflexively dealt. "What the hell was that? I know you weren't raised that way."

Frustrated, Ginny sneered, "I can learn new tricks, Malfoy. Pardon me, I really do have to get up at eight, and I have too much to do before I can go to sleep."

"Call me Draco, and let me help. If you need to do house cleaning here, then you'd need to know the old protections on the things here." Malfoy said, continuing to follow her up the stairs.

Turning back again, Ginny spat, "Fine, Draco, follow me, but I warn you, you'll be asleep from boredom faster than you can imagine."

The pair swept into the library, where Ginny immediately went over to the first row of shelves and took a book off the shelf. She sat a desk and waved her hand, making a sheaf of parchment, quills, and an inkwell appear before carefully making several charts, spreading them out, and opening to the first page of the book. Three pages later, Draco's head began nodding, and he broke the silence, "So, Ginevra, why are you doing... Well, whatever the hell it is you're doing? Does it have something to do with Voldemort? Umm, Ginevra? Hello? Are you even listening to me?!"


	3. Clean Up Around Here!

Ginny looked up, and asked, "What did you say?"

Exasperated, Draco reiterated himself, and Ginny shook her head, "Not really. I mean, it helps in training, but this is a search to try and catalog all the information in the library here. I tell you, it took forever to get finished with the Hogwarts library, and that doesn't even include the individual teacher's libraries or Dumbledore's. None of them will let me at their libraries right now, so I figured I pick up where I left off in here. The last book of the first shelf. Now, I told you you'd just be bored. I'm practically rewriting the library, so don't expect me to hurry, and I don't really know how much you could help. If you want, you could sanitize the back of the room."

Raising an eyebrow, Draco asked, "So what you're saying is that the only way I can be useful right now is to be a house elf? No thanks. Can't we practice fighting or something?"

Ginny smirked, "Is that a challenge?"

"Only if you think you could take a friendly little match." came the reply.

After clearing everything away and protecting the room, the two drew their wands and stood about three meters from each other. They bowed, and began to fight. Casting spell after spell, they were locked in a stalemate duel. Ginny growled, and threw away her wand, continuing without it more easily. As she began to overcome him, Draco threw away his wand as well, though he had never used a drop of wandless magic. The boy relied on instinct, and he was much more powerful, but due to lack of training, he burnt out after just a few spells. Defenseless, Draco surrendered.

Panting slightly, Ginny regained control of her breathing and heart rate instantly. "Good fight. I didn't think you'd last as long as you did without a wand. You've got real potential. That's enough for one night as well."

Standing and reclaiming his wand, Draco panted, "Ginevra, I'll make you a deal. You teach me wandless magic, and anything else you can, and I'll truthfully answer any ten questions you ask me, if I have the knowledge. Deal?"

Ginny took Draco's extended hand. Despite herself, she was curious as to how he had learned to fight as well as he could, and about a few other things. Besides, she just had to teach him, she didn't have to make him as good or better than her.

It was nearly two in the morning when Ginny allowed herself to sleep. The six hours were much more than what she usually got, but the next day was going to be a tough one, and she needed the extra four hours. When Kreature opened the door to Ginny's room at exactly eight o' clock, her eyes snapped open, and she turned to the diminutive elf, "Kreature, you will only need to open the door to wake me, if I am well. I will be downstairs in half an hour for breakfast, and Draco will come down whenever he decides to. Today will only be cleaning. I want the entire first floor and basement cleaned out before I retire at three tomorrow morning. I will give you orders for the morning before I go to bed. That is all, you may go."

Kreature bowed low, and hurried off to do his allotted work. Ginny took a ten minute shower, and magically dried her hair, before bewitching a brush to do the long job of untangling the floor length mess. At precisely eight thirty, Ginny seated herself at the table in the dining room, and Kreature came in to serve her. When she was halfway through the meal, a still asleep Draco Malfoy staggered in, and ordered a large breakfast, which was immediately served to him. "Ginevra, how are you awake? We went to bed at two in the morning!"

An enigmatic smirk was Ginny's only reply as the dishes were cleared away. "I'll be in the library, if anything comes up, Kreature. Remember, absolutely spotless." Before disappearing upstairs, Ginny examined Mrs. Black's corner, and found that all her demands had been met. "Good morning, Madame Black. Did you sleep well?"

The portrait answered, "Yes, I did. It is a great relief to know that my noble home once again houses those of worthy blood. Kreature shall do good work, I hope, he is all I can give to you from here. I shall speak to my son about his will, don't worry."

Ginny curtsied, "That is most generous of you, Madame Black."

"Please, Ginevra, call me Aunty Black, I am a third cousin of Esme Prewett, you know." Mrs. Black said kindly.

Smiling at the portrait, Ginny said, "That is most kind of you, Aunty Black. Please, I insist that you call me Ginny then."

Mrs. Black promised to do so, and then waved Ginny off, telling her to go about her business and not to waste time on an old portrait. She claimed Ginny was doing enough in the house already to make her happy.

Draco caught Ginny just before she entered the library, "Ginevra, when will you teach me?"

Stiffly removing the taller boy's hand, she responded, "The first thing you can do is stretch. When you can do a split and a bridge, I'll begin. Limber up. The first thing to learn is how to dodge long enough to live." Ginny disappeared into the library, leaving Draco to figure out what the hell a bridge was, and how to get stretchy enough to do one on his own. In the library, Ginny spent the entire day working besides to others of herself, then, to make it so that she had, she went back with the time turner, and went through the day again, except researching from different books, and then did it once more. Finally stretching out her protesting muscles in mind and body bending ways, Ginny went downstairs at midnight.

After examining the basement and first floor, she found them entirely habitable, and called Kreature, "Your work will do. I want to be up by eight o' clock every morning, unless I tell you otherwise specifically. Breakfast will always be served at eight thirty, and will be just Draco and myself, unless I tell you otherwise specifically. I will never call on you for lunch for myself, and I shall skip dinner a lot. For those meals, refer to Draco. Unfortunately, we may be having guests, due to Sirius giving unworthy people access to the house, and I will alert you when they do. By tomorrow night at this time I want every secret passage cleaned and on a map of the house, which you will give to me. Please do the map first, and be thorough. I want this done to the best of your knowledge. As you find new things cleaning, the map should be updated. It will be on the desk in my room for now, should you need to improve it. That is all."

Ginny went to her room, and warded everything. Then she activated her hand tailored dummies to the highest setting, and began fighting. Ginny fought ten dummies off at once. They were all armed with wands, knives, guns, swords, and daggers. Ginny had just herself to start with.


	4. Training and Visitors

The dummies fired spells, and Ginny dodged consistently. The stuffed cloth was animated to learn, and react as a human would depending on what setting they were on. After relieving the dummies of their wands, they would draw their swords and continue attacking, so Ginny had to use wandless magic to defend herself from those as well. Finally, the last dummy's wand was gone, and Ginny wandlessly brought out her swords.

With a sword in each hand, she battled through the simulation, and as she disarmed them, they slashed at her with daggers. Once the daggers were eliminated, they took out wickedly curved knives, and had no better luck fighting Ginny. Finally, the dummies grew the human equivalent of desperate, and drew guns, beginning to rain fire down on her. Rather than create a magical shield, which would drain her of all her energy, Ginny dodged the bullets. They were smaller and faster than spells, but she dad trained with them for that exact reason. Eventually, the dummies ran out of bullets, and began to run, a perfect human simulation. Ginny captured every last dummy.

The simulation ended, and Ginny flopped into bed. Once again, Kreature woke Ginny, and she came down at exactly eight thirty. After breakfast, Kreature humbly bowed and handed the map to Ginny. "Kreature is almost certain nothing else is hidden, Mistress. Kreature spent the entire night double checking."

"Very well, Kreature. Make sure the passages are clean and usable." Ginny ordered.

Kreature proudly said, "Kreature cleaned them last night, when he doubled checked everything. Can Kreature do more for Mistress?"

Ginny replied, "Yes, clean the second and third floors, Kreature."

The house elf hurried off, and Ginny exchanged the morning pleasantries with "Aunty Black" the woman was pleased with the way Ginny was running the house, and shooed them off.

The next three days went in much the same way. Ginny would give Kreature the next day's orders, he would have them done and Ginny would look everything over after breakfast. She would give him a new set of orders, and then would disappear into the library to catalog all the information. Draco would try in vain to become flexible, and would then eat lunch. Then he would do his laundry from the day before, and do one of his summer assignments for school. Draco would eat dinner, read a few chapters of a book, and go to bed.

On Friday, the routine was interrupted as Kreature brought a letter to the breakfast table. "There is mail for Mistress."

Ginny took the letter and letter opener from the elf, and removed the parchment from within. After a moment, she remarked, "It's a letter from Dumbledore. There's an Order meeting tonight. We're being inducted and officially given our assignments. He doesn't want us to be startled when people start coming in the front door." Ginny shook her head sadly, and handed the letter to Kreature, "Burn it." She instructed. The elf immediately threw it into the flames of the dining room fireplace.

Deciding to change the topic, and actually talk for once, Ginny asked, "So how is the stretching going?"

Draco sneered, "I doubt you can do a split or a bridge, and I work on it every morning until lunch, and I never get any better."

Standing, Ginny dropped into a split, and then did a straddle, rolling to her feet, and then bridging to look at Malfoy upside down. "I can't, huh? I think you should come and watch exactly what this is good for. Kreature, clean up breakfast. Tonight we are going to have a good many guests over for dinner, so open up the ballroom and get it in order by this afternoon. I'll come down with Draco while he eats and direct the table placing. You have this morning to clean it only. This afternoon you're cooking for an estimated fifty people."

Kreature bowed, and Ginny dragged Draco off, calling a good morning over her shoulder to Mrs. Black. Inside her room, Ginny warded everything and armed her dummies. "Draco, you are about to see a simulation of a battle with ten Death Eaters. They are armed, and I have to ask you not to interfere in any way. This is the highest setting besides Voldemort, and I really still find it a tad challenging with ten or more dummies. They cannot kill me, and anything else, the wards will take care of. Watch."

Ginny battled the dummies for twenty minutes before she had the last one bound and tied. Draco had sat the entire time, transfixed. "Wow. How do I learn to do that?" he asked as Ginny turned off the simulation.

"Two ways. You can fight me with that same series of weapons and learn by experience, or you can get on the damn floor and start stretching." was the irritated reply.

To Ginny's slight surprise, Malfoy stood and drew his wand, "Let's do the learn by experience. But for now, let's stick to just magic."

Consenting, Ginny had him attack her. Draco hit the floor in less than ten seconds. With Ginny on either offense or defense, Draco invariably hit the floor in under ten seconds. At first, he barely lasted two, but he trekked closer and closer to lasting ten seconds. By noon, when they went downstairs for lunch, he had a record time of eighteen seconds.

While Malfoy ate, Ginny drank a glass of water, and remarked, "You chose the more effective, but harder way. You picked the same one I did. I'm warning you now, be prepared for bruises, broken bones, pulled muscles, twisted ankles ectera. Be prepared to get shot at, cut, and otherwise bleed. Know, that once you have developed some kind of technique, I am going to have to teach you to tolerate and fight the worst sort of people. Once you break the thirty second mark, you'll be fighting the dummies so I can watch and see where you need to improve. Drink this potion. It'll prevent people from noticing your new black and blues. I'm going to arrange the ballroom, bye."

Before any of Ginny's speech could properly register, she was gone, having only left a phial of red liquid. Malfoy drank it, and promptly felt a tingling sensation, and then nothing. Ginny, meanwhile went into the sparkling clean ballroom, and Kreature was instantly bowing at her side. "Push the small round tables to the sides, and seat them for two or three." Kreature snapped his fingers, and it was done. Ginny continued, "Have the long tables make a large square, and seat it for about fifty people." Another snap of the elf's fingers, and it was done. "The small square tables should be pushed together in a long line down the left side of the room for all the dishes to be laid out on, and the silver ware needs to be polished again before it can be used." A final snap of Kreature's fingers, and the table finshed sorting themselves out, while the silver ware shown perfectly.

Kreature bowed, and disappeared to the kitchen where he began to cook. Ginny went up to the library, and began working on the last shelf of books in the library. All the others were now categorized, and in alphabetical order within their individual category. Ginny cataloged two particularly short books, and placed them on the correct shelves before going to the foyer to warn Mrs. Black about the Order coming over.

"Ah, Ginny dear, how are you?" Mrs. Black asked.

Smiling, Ginny politely returned, "I'm well, Aunty Black. I thought I might warn you, Sirius has allowed for that filth to return, and they are coming tonight. We, of course, have nearly completed the restoration of the house, we are down to cleaning the attic, and then re-painting the house, along with a few odd fixing jobs. I have had Kreature prepare the ballroom, since it seems a large number of them are coming, and he is cooking dinner as we speak. I believe they may begin to arrive at any moment, so I would like to know if you want your curtains closed, so you don't have to see what the dog dragged in."

Mrs. Black chuckled, for she had told Ginny of Sirius being a dog animagus, and replied, "Leave my curtains be, if you would. I thank you for your consideration, but I would like to welcome them to our home. Now that I am confident it is nearly back to it's old glory, it doesn't matter what filth resides temporarily in it, since it will be an easy mess to clean."

Both women laughed, and the clock struck four. Ginny went back upstairs, changed for dinner, and met Kreature on the stairs, since he had been looking for her, "Mistress, dinner is ready."

Ginny nodded, "Very well, light the candles in the ballroom, and then go the foyer and send our arrivals in to be seated, I must get Draco. Oh, and Kreature, no muttering, nor taking any orders from anyone but myself, Aunty Black, and Draco. If our guests don't want to be seated in the ballroom, they may not leave the foyer. Is that quite clear?"


	5. I Have a Feeling

Kreature bowed, and lit the candles before going to the foyer. Ginny made Draco change in to casual but nice clothing, as she herself had, and they went downstairs to find the entire Order barricaded into the Foyer by a forcefield. Kreature, who was trying to explain something to the loud group, turned and bowed when Draco and Ginny entered the room. "Mistress, Master! They refuse to go to the ballroom. They want to go to the kitchen!"

Dumbledore, Sirius, Snape, and Mrs. Weasley were at the front, all saying different things. Sirius was bellowing orders at the elf to let them go, Snape was calmly chanting incantations trying to remove the forcefield, Dumbledore was trying to reason with Kreature, and Molly was screaming about how she had to cook a dinner for fifty and still listen to the meeting. Ginny amplified her voice, and said, "Hello, please follow me to the ballroom. Tables and food have been prepared." Taking the spell away, Ginny turned to Kreature, "Change the shield so that it levitates them to the ballroom, then bring the food up all at once. You won't need to serve us. Once you're done, make sure there are plenty of drinks ready in serving containers, and if we need them, I'll summon them up. You can go clean the attic, fix the broken and squeaking things in the house and retire once that's done."

The Order of the Phoenix was levitated into the ballroom, the food appeared, and Kreature disappeared to clean out the attic. All fifty people crowded together in shock at the elegant room before them. The candles lit the room to the ideal relaxing point, the pure white tablecloths were beneath perfect glasses, plates, and silverware. The food looked and smelled delicious, and Mrs. Black had cordially greeted them as they walked into her home. This was not the way Grimmauld Place had been just five days ago...

In the center of the room, Ginny stood, and projected her voice, "Welcome to Number 13 Grimmauld Place. Please, take any seat you like. The platters will be floated around shortly."

As the shock wore off, several people took seats and soon the only people left standing were Sirius, Snape, Dumbledore, and Mrs. Weasley. Draco and Ginny had seated themselves at one of the two seaters, accustomed to eating with just each other already. When they noticed the group still standing, Ginny went over. Dumbledore asked, "What happened?"

Smirking, Ginny replied, "Well, after everybody left, I went downstairs and spoke with Aunty Black. She took a liking to me after I introduced myself as a pure blood, and Draco appeared on the stairs, and she said we were welcome to her home. I offered to restore the house, if I could borrow her house elf, and she gave him to me and Draco. We set him to work on the place, first having him sanitize what a pure blood would need to live properly in, and of course, clean everything around Aunty Black's portrait. She asked me to call her Aunty Black, and I just had Kreature do as a pure blood would have ordered with guests coming. To the destined room, or a stay in the foyer."

Sirius asked, "So why does he listen to you, and why didn't he take down the shield after I ordered him to?"

Kreature suddenly appeared at Ginny's side and bowed, "Mistress, Kreature went to the attic, and in the back Kreature found Thing. Mistress, Thing kept the attic clean, and Thing wants to meet Mistress. Should Thing come and see Mistress?"

Ginny replied, "Yes, Kreature, bring me Thing."

Moments later, to elves appeared, but one was a younger girl elf. "Thing sees Mistress! Mistress please forgive Thing for staying in attic! Master Regulus told Thing to stays in the attic. Thing is sorry for not coming to Mistress. Bad Thing! Bad Thing!"

The girl elf began banging her head on the floor, and Ginny let it for a moment before saying, "Very well, Thing. For your punishment, I believe that you can not work for a week. Then you shall only be given one chore at a time until you are a trusted elf of the Noble House of Black again."

Thing bowed low, though nearly in tears, "Yes Mistress."

Kreature and Thing disappeared, and Ginny remarked, "Well, now we have two. That will make life easier. This earned stares from the four she had been talking to, and Ginny shrugged, "Now, please have a seat. This is where we shall be holding all large gathering. The dining room only seats ten. Mother, you won't be cooking here, and I'm afraid that the elves obey myself, Draco, and Aunty Black only, Sirius."

After walking the group to four empty seats, Ginny waved her hand at the food table, and the soups glided around the tables, pausing at each person to give them a chance to take something. Wine, butter beer, and water also floated around, and soon the novelty had worn off, and the hall was filled with chattering. All Ginny had was a glass of water while the rest of the room ate. Halfway through the main course, Kreature forcefully brought in Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ginny came over instantly, and said, "You may release them, Kreature. That will be all." The elf bowed and vanished.

Hermione instantly berated Ginny for treating Kreature so harshly, and Ron tried to hold Harry back as he tried to go after the elf. Harry finally got loose, and Ginny reacted purely out of instinct. The knives she had hidden in her sleeves flew through the air, and wedged in the door jams. With them there, neither of the double doors would open. "I will have to ask you to sit down, and not try to murder my house elf, Potter." Malfoy had also risen and come to settle the room down. The adults were transfixed, watching the scene.

"Your house elf?" Questioned Harry.

Ginny sensed the coming fight, but before she could do anything, the Golden Trio's wands were out. Hermione and Ron flanked Harry against Draco, and the room seemed to hold its breath. The Trio had nearly a month's horcrux hunting in experience, and they had correctly judged Draco's ability to fight as not much. What they weren't counting on, however, was Ginny flanking Draco. Daggers slid into her hands from seemingly no where, and she flashed them through the air in a strange motion. When she let go, they flew to opposite sides, and created a dome around them so that nothing got hurt outside of it. The dome shimmered a green and blue swirled pattern, and Draco drew his wand.

Ron hissed, "Ginny, what are you doing? Get over here, and let us protect you! You'll only get hurt in the crossfire, even if those pre-enchanted daggers were a good idea to have on you."

Within Ginny, something snapped, and it was her patience. "Ronald, darling, do you know how long I've been alive?" Ginny suddenly asked. "Thirty six years, I have spent training and learning to fight. You say that _you_ will protect me? I was possessed by Voldemort for a year, and came back from the dead _four times_ and you will protect me? I don't have the time, the patience, or the will at the moment to deal with your blunt pigheadedness. I don't have the patience to deal with Hermione or my mother's condescending talk of 'when you're older dear.' And the final straw is really Harry's damn heroics ruining everything I ever wanted." By the time she was done, though the people outside the dome couldn't hear what she was saying, everyone saw her glow. It had started as a spark playing around her hands and had engulfed her entire body. Raw magic consumed body, mind and soul, and suddenly, Ginny vanished.

Moments later, a pinprick of light swirled into existence where she had been moments before, and Ginny reappeared, but not the same as she had been. As she had grown more skilled and powerful, her body could no longer contain every thing. Her magic had given her a new body, one taken from the very appearance of her soul. When Ginny reappeared, Thing and Kreature apparated into the dome and removed the spell from the daggers. They cast spell's over Ginny's body, and when she awoke, she stood. The room collectively gasped.

Two meters tall in height, thin, pale, and dressed in black with a staff. Ginny seemed to charge the air itself with her magic, and her hair hung to the floor, black and blood red streaked twisted into a braid and tied at the end with a jade ring. It was pulled back away from her pointed elf ears. The staff Ginny held came up to her shoulder, it was Rowan wood, with runes etched into it. The etchings were filled with gold, and a silver and emerald scaled snake circled the staff to end with its head as the top, mouth wide, and fangs set so that were the floating diamond be lowered, they would hold the jewel in place.

The only thing more striking than Ginny's new look, was her new voice. It was light, but rich and powerful, "Everyone sit. Enjoy your meals and soon we shall come to the business for which we gathered." Everyone sat, and everyone enjoyed their meal. The house elves stayed with Ginny and Draco as they went back to their own corner. "Draco, would you do me a favor?" Ginny asked.

Without hesitation, Draco answered, "Sure."

"Call me Ginny. I have a feeling we are going to have to do a lot of work together shortly."


End file.
